


Merry Christmas, Darling

by RachelisTheWendyBird



Series: In the Life of Severus Snape [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Presents, F/M, Flashbacks, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Male-Female Friendship, Romance, Winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-09
Updated: 2014-03-09
Packaged: 2018-01-15 04:56:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1292212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RachelisTheWendyBird/pseuds/RachelisTheWendyBird
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The second installment of my Severus and Lily fic series, in which they spend christmas together at Lily's house.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Merry Christmas, Darling

Winter snow always turned Hogwarts and all the lands around it into a postcard winter wonderland. Severus had spent several Christmases at Hogwarts. In fact, he had spent every Christmas since he had turned eleven in the castle. He had seen the twelve magnificent Christmas trees that Hagrid brought into the Great Hall, bedecked with floating candles; garlands of mistletoe and tinsel; tiny golden owls that really hooted; and real, living fairies that twinkled in the golden light. And the feast! 100 fat turkeys roasted to golden perfection; piles of wizard Crackers every few feet along the tables; and countless Christmas pudding and frosted cookies. Severus had never liked Christmas. But Christmas at Hogwarts filled him with wonder. He had never felt so—so—warm. He really couldn’t think of a better word. 

But despite all of that, Christmas was always the time of year Severus felt the most longing. For Lily always went home for Christmas. And times without Lily were never happy. They could me warm as Christmas at Hogwarts, but that couldn’t make him happy if was not there to share it. But this year would be different. This year, Severus would be spending Christmas with Lily. 

Severus had hardly been able to believe it when Lily had come up to him, eyes shining with excitement, to tell him that she had finally convinced her parents to let him spend the Christmas holidays at her house. He could hardly wait to set out on the Hogwarts express for what was sure to be his happiest Christmas yet. 

Of course, it wasn’t as though Severus had never seen Lily on Christmas. In fact, Christmas Eve was the one time he was guaranteed to see her, alone. That one Christmas Eve before they had started Hogwarts, he and Lily had snuck out to their oak tree behind the Evans’ house to exchange gifts. He had given her his copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard. She had given him a wool cap she had knitted herself. It was green and grey, like the Slytherin colors, but nicer somehow. He could remember the exact words of that conversation.

“You used magic to make this, didn’t you!” he had accused. But Lily just smiled.

“No one will know,” she said giggling. “Do you like it?”

“Of course! You know, I don’t actually have a hat.”

“Well, try it on!” she insisted.

Severus pulled the cap on his head. It slipped down past his eyes. Lily laughed at him.  
“Oh, I’m sorry Sev! I didn’t realize how big I made it. But don’t worry, you’ll grow into it.”

Severus smiled at the memory. He had worn that same hat on the train ride back to London to spend Christmas with Lily. She had teased him about it, because he had worn it every winter, even when it was still too big. But he knew he would wear it forever.

After Hogwarts started, Severus didn’t know how they would be able to see each other on Christmas Eve, but Lily had found a way. She had managed to get a hold of some floo powder. And every year at midnight on Christmas Eve, Severus would wait by the fire in his common room for Lily’s head to appear, and they would share a few minutes’ whispered conversation. Last year, Lily had actually stayed at Hogwarts for Christmas. Late on Christmas Eve she brought him secretly into Gryffindor tower, and they had sat by the fire telling stories and eating chocolates the whole nightlong. That Christmas had been wonderful. And Severus knew this one would be even better. 

“What are you thinking about, Sev?”

Lily’s voice dragged Severus’ thoughts back to the present. They were sprawled on the rug in front of a blazing fire in the Evans’ sitting room. A Christmas tree twinkled to the right of the fireplace with stacks of presents piled under it. A radio played a muggle Christmas station quietly in the background. Snow still fell over a frosted white landscape. It was almost midnight on Christmas Eve. 

“Just the Ghost of Christmas Past,” Severus replied, smiling. 

Lily laughed softly.

“I thought so,” she said. “I could see it in your eyes. You were thinking about last year, weren’t you?”

Severus turned to look at her. She was smiling at him over her mug of steaming hot cocoa. She was still wearing the silver and green Slythering scarf that he had wrapped around her neck earlier that day while they walked through the snowy woods. He was distracted by the light of the fire on her face. It made her hair glow deepest ruby, and her skin looked golden in the half-light. After a while he saw her blush and look away.

“What?” she said slowly.

Severus blinked, and then shook his head and looked back at the fire.

“Oh, nothing. I was just, uh, admiring your Christmas tree.”

His cheeks flushed, and he hoped Lily wouldn’t notice in the light of the fire. 

“You were staring at me,” Lily said.

Severus glanced at her, then stared back at the fire.

“Wasn’t,” he muttered softly, blushing brighter.

To his relief, Lily laughed and poked him playfully in the shoulder.

“Come on, Sev. I want you to open one special present now.”

She turned and crawled toward the Christmas tree and started poking through the presents piled at the back. After a moment she sat back holding a flat, square package neatly wrapped with red and green paper and adorned with a green bow. She walked back on her knees and sat down right across from him by the fire, placing the present on his lap.

“Open it!” she urged.

Severus carefully ripped open the package, then lifted the lid of the box underneath. Inside was picture frame. A beautiful crafted picture frame. The upper left side of the frame was all twisting silver like a rolling sea that glowed blood-red in the firelight. A serpent with emerald eyes and crowned with golden flowers was coiled around that corner The bottom right side was all leaping gold like dancing flames that twinkled warmly in the firelight. A lion with ruby eyes and teeth and claws of silver roared in that corner. And then there was the picture. In it he and Lily laughed together, he on the silver side and she on the gold. It had been taken in their meadow that past summer. She wore her blue dress, and he wore black wizard robes. He never wore muggle clothes, if he could help it. He looked up at Lily, eyes wide.

“Where did you get this?” he whispered.

“I had it custom made for my potions genius . Do you like it?”

“How could I not? It’s wonderful! Thank you so much, Lily.”

She smiled, and he smiled back. Severus stuck his hand in the pocket of his robes, fingering the long, rectangular box. He had finally gotten her a proper gift. 

“I have something special for you, too,” he said, pulling out the box. “Sorry, I wasn’t able to wrap it. 

Lily took the box and lifted the lid. Inside was a perfect, pure white lily. 

“A lily for a Lily,” he said.

Severus watched Lily’s mouth fall open and her eyes widen as she picked up the flower.

“It’s so beautiful,” she whispered. “Where did you get it?”

I grew it for you. I started in the summer. At Hogwarts I put an Everlasting spell on it. If you accept it, the spell will be complete, and it will never die.”

“Really?”

“Really. Do you like it?”

“I love it,” she assured him.

Then she leaned close, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“Thank you, Severus,” she whispered in his ear. Then she kissed him on the cheek.

Severus caught his breath. This was just like in the meadow. He reached up to put his arms around her, but she pulled away and sat staring into the fire. Severus opened his mouth to say something, but shut it again quickly and instead tried to listen to the song playing on the radio. The lyrics caught his attention.

“Lily, what is this song called?”

She looked up, listening for a moment, then replied,

“Merry Christmas Darling by the Carpenters.”

Severus sat back, listening. The song was about a woman lamenting that she couldn’t be with her lover on Christmas. He found that he knew what the singer meant. For that was what he felt every Christmas time. Talking to Lily out of a fire for a few moments was nice, but it wasn’t the same as being with her. Through the fire he couldn’t feel her soft hair or smell her sweet scent. She smelled of spring flowers and summer grass, warm kitchens and clean sheets. Like home and childhood. He could hear Lily singing quietly under her breath.

“I’ve just one wish on this Christmas Eve, I wish I were with you.”

Severus turned to stare at her, and this time he spoke.

“Lily, why don’t we pretend like we’re the only ones alive in the world. Like nothing and no one else in the world is important or even exists.”

Lily turned to look at him and nodded.

“Only if for a night,” she agreed. 

She climbed back into his arms, and this time she kissed his lips. It was a passionate kiss, and somehow, a sad kiss. They heard the clock chime midnight, and they broke apart. Lily’s eyes held his as she said,

“I want you to know, that no matter what, I will always be here and I will always love you.”

“I love you, too,” Severus murmured. 

“Merry Christmas, Severus.”

“Merry Christmas, darling.”

In the dying light of the fire, they lay with their arms wrapped around each other, content with just one night of Christmas magic.


End file.
